Hi:)

[Nance1]

Hi everyone.
Joined this forum as I'm trying desperately to revamp my lifestyle!
I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 4yrs old (35yrs in total now!). But being an 80's diagnosed diabetic things have changed quiet drastically from what I was originally taught (or what my parents were taught and then taught me)!
I moved to the UK a year ago and have let everything slip. Actually it had slipped a while before then but life ran away with me. I've got into a bad habit of eating what I want and just upping my dose of insulin ALL THE TIME! Sometimes even skipping jabs and barely monitoring sugar levels Put on loads of weight, not exercising enough and just generally not caring about myself. I had my HBa1c results a few days ago and it was 81!!! Freaked me out so trying really hard to improve my lifestyle.
I'd really like a insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor - would I be eligible?
Any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Flower]

Hello Nance1 welcome to the forum🙂

Sorry you're having a tough time, diabetes and life can certainly combine to do that! Are you working with your diabetes team to get to a better place with your control? What have they advised you to do in order to improve your control and HbA1c?

Sometimes it's best to go back to basics and sort out your basal rates, concentrate on carb counting, get your ratios correct and really focus for as long as it takes on you and getting your diabetes back into the best shape possible for a healthy future. I know how hard it can be as things change through different periods of your life despite diabetes always being there, I had a really difficult time through my late teens and 20's and it took a concerted effort to get myself on the right track.

I presume you mean eligibility for a pump/glucose monitor on medical grounds? The NICE criteria for getting a pump looks at the number of hypos you're having plus your HbA1c. You also need to have shown that despite testing regularly and trying your best with your control on MDI you're still having problems getting improved levels/reducing hypos. You also need to have done an education course usually DAFNE - dose adjustment for normal eating - dealing with accurate carb counting, dose adjustment, correcting high glucose levels etc. and your diabetes consultant needs to recommend pump therapy.

This information from INPUT/JDRF covers the points you need to know for all insulin technologies, pumps, Libre, cgm etc.https://jdrf.org.uk/information-support/treatments-technologies/

A number of people on here self fund the Libre flash glucose system and things are improving on getting it prescribed but that will come from your diabetes consultant .

Work with your diabetes team and hopefully you can start to regain better control and see if things can settle for you. It is really tough getting to grips with it all but well worth investing the time and energy . 🙂

 

[MrDaibetes]

Hey & Welcome to DUK Forum. Managing Type One Diabetes isn't easy but you've got this. Regarding Pump therapy it has pros/cons and it is a lot more work then injections. I Would go on an educational course first, then discuss maybe pump therapy.

 

[Jodee]

Hi Nance1, welcome

I'm type2 so can't help you with typ1 meds and pump, continuous monitor etc however...

My Hb1Ac was 83 not so long ago, I think I have been on low carb and metformin now for 2 months and my daily levels are right down already, in fact they came down within the first month. I understand insulin med is different but I hope you will find your levels coming down fairly quickly too.

 

[Bronco Billy]

Hi Nance1, welcome to the forum.

I don’t know if adult services are the same as paediatrics in respect of pumps and CGMs. If it is, then each area will have its own criteria, so it might be worth having a chat with your hospital team. Here is some general information that you may find useful. I hope you get what you want.

https://jdrf.org.uk/information-sup...onitors/nice-and-diabetes-technology-funding/

 

[KARNAK]

Hello @Nance1 welcome to the forum,🙂 time to take control, you have done well by joining the forum. As @Flower says back to basics, lets start again, we or most of us get a bit peed off at times but what`s the alternative?😱 We`ll get you back on track as long as you are willing, next step let the forum know your insulin requirements if you wish and any other meds you are on. Take care for now, kindest regards.

 

[SB2015]

Welcome @Nance1

Glad that you have found this forum, and well done on recognising the need to get things sorted. As others have said there will be set criteria for the allocation of pumps in your area. Do you have a specialist team that you are working with? If not it is helpful to ask for a referral back to them. They will be able to help you access an education course, which is often a criteria for access to a pump. As others have said you may also have to show what steps you have taken to make effective use of MDI.

What insulins are you using?
Are you carb counting?

 

[trophywench]

Pumps don't do it all for us Nance - it's actually harder work than MDI to begin with - unless you can demonstrate that you can carb count and adjust your doses to match - TBH it would be a waste of time your having one. But anyway that's entirely up to your diabetes consultant or whoever has medical responsibility for you and your diabetes - so you need to talk to them asap.

Most of us have a hospital D Consultant and specialist nurse and found the latter a constant help to us - so make friends with em!

 

[Nance1]

Thanks so much for the messages! Really make me feel well supported
I've only seen a diabetic nurse once (a year ago - but due to go see her again next week). Is there someone more qualified I should be asking to see?
Never carb counted. I'm trying to eat less carbs now (the past 4 days!) but think that an education course might help in this regard (would they cover this?).
I'm currently on Humalog and Lantus.
medication wise I'm on Medformin 500mg 2x daily, as well as Simtatin 40mg as daily. Also take Vit B12, Vit D3 and Escitalopram 20mg
Thanks for the advice on the pump - will put that idea on hold! X

 

[Flower]

You can ask for a referral to a diabetes clinic at a hospital - (that's assuming your diabetes nurse is at a GP surgery) That's where you'll be under a team - diabetes consultant, diabetes specialist nurse DSN etc. If you're struggling with control and need referring for an education/carb counting course, future technology- pump etc then ask to be referred to a hospital clinic when you go to your next appointment. As Jenny says a DSN is a real lifeline for helping us sort out problems with all things diabetes.